Far Far Away (1883)

Version #1 from Sheet Music (personal copy)
(More or less identical to the version in Sabine Baring-Gould's  The Songs of bonnie Scotland)

There is A Josser's land, Far Far Away!
Where a drink they never stand, Far Far Away!
Term'd Prosser's Avenue
Where of Pro's you meet a few
Hundreds could much better do, Far Far Away!

I wish my mother-in-law, Far Far Away!
You can hear her blessed jaw, Far Far Away!
When she speaks the house it shook,
Always bringing me to book, 
I shall quickly take my hook, Far Far Away!

Where's my dear, dear wife gone, Far Far Away!
I'm left with 17 babes to mourn, Far Far Away!
For drink most everything she'd sell, 
The truth at last I'm forced to tell,
The young man lodgers gone as well, Far Far Away!

Where is a Bobby found, Far Far Away!
It's ten to one he's off his round, Far Far Away!
Should you do wrong and hold the pelf, 
And tip to some blue-coated elf 
Where does he take himself? Far Far Away!

I sent off thirty stamps so meek, Far Far Away!
To learn to earn five pounds per week. Far Far Away!
It turned out a swindling plan, 
The answer came, and thus it ran, 
Start a baked potato can, Far Far Away!

Where are my Sunday clothes? Far Far Away!
Resting in sweet repose, Far Far Away!
Well looked after, there's no doubt, 
They are simply up the spout; 
But where's the coin to get them out? Far Far Away!

ENCORE VERSES

The cry of outcast London is known, Far Far Away!
All may hear the bitter moan, Far Far Away!
Homeless, starved, without a friend
[while wet savages atttend]??
All our charity we send, Far Far Away!

Where is our gracious Queen? Far Far Away!
Where is she mostly seen? Far Far Away!
Our future king well fills her lace,
Though she is beloved by all our race,
She still prefers to hide her face, Far Far Away!


Josser: one who begs for loans, a "sponger"
Prosser: an idler or a pimp; 
"Prossers’ Avenue in London’s Gaiety Theatre, the theatre bar where the more raffish elements of society were wont to promenade.
[Green's Dictionary of slang]


Version #2 from Frank Kidson Broadside

There is a pious band, Far Far Away!
Where a drink they never stand, Far Far Away!
Although they prose till all is blue
Where'er you go you'll find a few
Will drink, but what they'll stand for you ..
Is Far Far Away!

I wish my mother-in-law, Far Far Away!
You can hear her blessed jaw, Far Far Away!
When she speaks the house it shook,
Always bringing me to book,
I shall quickly take my hook, Far Far Away!

Where's my dear, dear wife gone, Far Far Away!
I'm left with 17 babes to mourn, Far Far Away!
For drink most everything she'd sell,
The truth at last I'm forced to tell,
The young man lodgers gone as well, Far Far Away!

Where is a Bobby found, Far Far Away!
It's ten to one he's off his round, Far Far Away!
Should you do wrong and hold the pelf,
And tip to some blue-coated elf
Where does he take himself? Far Far Away!

Where are my Sunday clothes? Far Far Away!
Resting in sweet repose, Far Far Away!
They'll take care of them there's no doubt,
For they are all gone up the spout;
But where's the cash to get them out? Far Far Away!

The Roud Index currently classifies song as a traditional one, as it appeared in the list of songs that Henry Burstow remembered singing the late 19th and early 20th century. However, there are several songs with the same title, and it is not entirely clear which one Burstow was remembering.

The song explored here, which was a big success in the music halls of the 1880s, is probably a parody of a reasonably well-known hymn from 1838: There Is a Happy Land (Far Far Away) RN13784 which starts:

There is a happy land, far far away,
Where saints in glory stand,
Bright bright as day,
Oh how they sweetly sing,
Worthy is our savior king,
Loud let his praises ring.

The hymn is still popular in the Sacred Harp tradition and (I think) is still sung in by the Salvation Army . It’s been parodied many times , including There is a boarding house far far away RN7636.

Slade Murray (1859-1913) was born in London, and in his early life worked as a printer and ship store foreman. He performed at amateur concerts before his Music Hall debut in 1883, and immediately had a big hit with Far Far Away. After 1889, he worked for long periods in Australia and later New Zealand.